Troy Loney wrote:Martin seems like the only person in the entire league that is 100% in the right.

He's an intelligent guy who came from a good background, attended a private upscale high school, and then went to Stanford. He doesn't have the same background and experiences that 99% of the lunatics in the NFL have.

Letang Is The Truth wrote:http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9931466/antrel-rolle-new-york-giants-says-jonathan-martin-stood-in-miami-dolphins-harassment-case

Antrel Rolle wrote:"Was Richie Incognito wrong? Absolutely," Rolle told the radio station. "But I think the other guy is just as much to blame as Richie, because he allowed it to happen.

"At this level, you're a man. You're not a little boy. You're not a freshman in college. You're a man."

Although, this just confirms the stereotype of dumb football players.

Listening to the meathead jocks in the media on TV and radio today just confirms what i already thought. These people are flat out stupid. Listening to Mike Prisuta today on DVE was downright sickening. Making total light of the situation and calling him a baby who shouldn't be playing in the NFL if he can't take it. Mike Prisuta is like that one friend you know who really needs to have his ass kicked but is too old to actually have it done.

Anyways, Cris Carter, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson get it. They understand this dude is a bigot. He's a racist. This isn't just words. It's threats against him and his family and being shaken down for thousands of dollars. That goes beyond what normally happens in the locker room. And i know this because HOF players have said it does.

I really like the Sunday NFL Countdown crew, though, as I get older I'm starting to like Chris Berman less and less, but when I was younger, I was a big fan...anyhow, TJ also said that Martin is probably over-reacting, but there is a line to be drawn. It sounds like Incognito crossed that line. I haven't followed the story too closely because this kind of stuff (generally "hazing" which is a strong term for a lot of it) goes on at many levels. But this appears to be a little more serious...

There's a puck-moving d-man that doesn't have a contract right now in the NHL - in some small part - due to his Incognito-ness, with almost a Farva-like ignorance to social norms and behaviors.

I have no problem with the "normal" stuff that you see...but when a player is made to feel as an outcast and you're bringing things like racial slurs and this and that involved, you've crossed the line. I'm normally a little more old school than most in my beliefs, but this is a shame for Martin.

I actually can't stand any of the pre-game studio shows anymore. I have to kill 90 minutes between church and the start of football, and can't find a football-related way to do it anymore. I find they're alternate between aiming at a yound audience, and human interest stories. Honest expert analysis is gone.

pressure=9Pa wrote:I actually can't stand any of the pre-game studio shows anymore. I have to kill 90 minutes between church and the start of football, and can't find a football-related way to do it anymore. I find they're alternate between aiming at a yound audience, and human interest stories. Honest expert analysis is gone.

Very few sports analyst that i think are good. Value added for 99+% of the is 0.

PghSkins wrote:There seems to be an increasing tide in the Dolphins scandal (or whatever it is) against Johathan Martin. I kind of find that incredible.

I think we're going to learn that this incident was more than just Incognito vs Martin. It seems like Incognito took direction from the coach and management but went to an unimaginable level, but it was still at the direction of management to "toughen" him up. This complaint has the possibility of challenging established norms in the culture of the game. I knew a guy that was a hazing whistleblower in college...the vitriol spewed at that guys character resembles some of the responses we're seeing from other players.

I believe I saw a story in the PG about how the Steelers' players are baffled by what's going on in Miami....yet the vets on the Steelers made news by not allowing young players to use the pool table or something like that. I think it's setting in as to what the ramifications of these accusations will have on the entire culture of the game....Once a high profile incident like this occurs, it's not like they establish a hazing line that players can't cross. The authorities in the sport that are ultimately liable say, "you idiots can't handle it, no more hazing of any kind".

Yeah I was amazed by how many players spoke out about it, and even more so how strongly. I thought this would be something the team would want to stay away from but its a lot of anti Martin. He's getting blasted by some media saying he handled it all wrong, then same people blast him for not saying something before. The guy obviously just reached his limit. I just don't understand the need to "toughen him up" If he was good enough to make the team he was good enough to make the team. Not every football player has to have the same Neanderthal personality that the majority of them do. Like getting drunk at a bar and running around shirtless screaming like a psycho like Incognito did would prove he was man enough to play football. These guys are such meatheads, and it seems like some people don't want to side with Martin because they're afraid to be perceived as weak or not man enough. The same meat head mentality that started this whole thing.

It's not surprising to me at all. This is the same class of people that go into full-blown homo panic at the mere mention of the possibility of a gay player on their roster. NFL rosters are largely (but not completely) made up of two types of people. Street-bred thugs, and jagoff privileged white jocks.

Sure, you have your good guys like Brett Keisel, London Fletcher, Tony Gonzalez et al, but 80+% of them are crap.

Troy Loney wrote:Yeah, it's pretty much the case with all professional sports though. The guys that reach the pinnacle of athletic competition tend to lag in mental development.

That's true for sure. I definitely think football is set apart a little bit though. I think football/basketball are tops in terms of the kind of homophobic/male chauvinist beliefs and crap we've been talking about. I do think that hockey tends to be more...."progressive" socially in that respect. Then again, that's kind of an oxymoron because it's the only sport that legalizes bashing the other guy's head in. Baseball I think is better in that respect too.

On the whole though, you're right. Intelligent athletes are hard to come by. Faux intelligence is common though (see: Mendenhall, Ryan Clark, etc)